


Stranger Danger

by YukiSetsu



Series: 12 Days of (Lance) Whumpmas [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Burns, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Happy ending though, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, i love them, lance having a creepy stalker, modern paladin protection squad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-16 05:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13047783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiSetsu/pseuds/YukiSetsu
Summary: Lance makes a new friend at the school pool, and the others feel something is... off. And although Lance initially brushes off the warnings, even he starts to notice that his friend might be a bit more dangerous than he expected. But by then, it's a bit too late.





	Stranger Danger

**Author's Note:**

> this story is more of a self-indulgement LOL i had trouble thinking of an interesting storyline for this day and then this idea hit me at 2am whoops 
> 
> modern college AU because i love it.. forgive the crappy ending

“Dude, he's just visiting.” Lance said for the third time, exasperated at this point.

“And that's the problem!” Hunk cried out over the phone. “Want me to come over? I'll be there just in case.”

“No, don't you dare.” Lance paced down the hallway to his apartment, careful to keep his voice low. “I swear to God, Hunk, you're overreacting.”

“Oh _really_.” Hunk deadpanned. “Hang on, Pidge wants to talk.”

The phone rustled before Pidge's voice chimed in. “Lance. Hate to break it to you, but that David guy's a creep. Seriously, he's like... weirdly obsessed with you.”

“Okay, no. He's just someone I met at the school pool! He liked my swimming!” He grinned. “What, you jealous that I have a fan?”

Pidge grumbled. “I swear that guy's been stalking you after classes. And who asks to visit someone's house because they like your _swimming_?”

Lance sighed, reaching the opposite end of the hall. He spun around, resuming his trek back to his door. “I dunno, 'cause he wants to be friends? But fine, I get it. I'll be careful. Happy?”

“Meh. You better report back with an update soon.” She paused thoughtfully. “Keith and Shiro live on the floor below you, right? If something happens, call them.”

Yeah, definitely not. “Fine, fine. I'm hanging up now.”

He shoved his phone in his pocket once he reached his apartment door, heading inside towards the living room. David wasn't there, instead in the kitchen, busy boiling a kettle of water. Lance glanced at the two unopened cup noodles on the countertop. The fact that David just went through his kitchen on his own kind of put Lance off, but he let it slide as he stepped inside.

“Hungry?” Lance asked lightly.

David glanced up at his voice, instantly perking up. He was a lanky kid who was almost Lance's height, light skin with dark hair that brushed the tips of his eyes. He didn't stand out much, tending to blend with the crowd when he was at school. Lance never would’ve noticed him had the guy not approached him at the pool one day. “Yeah, sorry! Don't worry, I'm making your share, too!”

“Nah, that's okay. I'm not hungry.”

David frowned at that. “You're not?”

Lance grinned, apologetic. “Big breakfast, man. You enjoy.”

The silence that followed felt heavier than he expected, and Lance coughed awkwardly. “Uh, so, why did you want to come over?”

David looked up again, his eyes bright. “I had a proposition for you.”

Lance raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. He didn't know where David was going with this, but might as well ask. “What was it?”

“Could we be roommates?”

Uh, definitely not expecting that. Lance blinked, almost wondering if he heard right. “Roommates?”

David nodded, a large smile on his face. “I figured that since you lived alone, you might like having a roommate! I know I'm a year below you, but I really admire you and would like to get to know you more.”

Lance held up his hands, overwhelmed. “Um, actually—“

“Our schedules are similar too, so we'd get home around the same time for dinner!” David continued. “I know you like to visit the pool sometimes, but that's okay. I can go with.”

Wow. This was getting a bit creepy. Pidge's words loomed in his mind like an ominous cloud. “Look, David. Really appreciate the thought, but I'm actually not looking for a roommate at the moment.”

David froze at that, as if he didn't expect such a response. His expression darkened then, so quick that it sent chills down Lance's spine. “You don't want to? Why not?”

“It's nothing against you, I'm just used to living on my own right now.” Lance said, voice even. He was tempted to step backwards, but something told him that might be a bad idea. So he stood there, hands still up. “Look, cook your cup noodles first and then we'll talk...”

David grabbed the kettle a bit too harshly.“Did your friends say something about me?” David growled. Lance swore the guy was bristling. “They're a bad influence on you.”

Lance frowned, off put. “Wait, what? Hunk and the others? Not cool, man. They're good friends.”

“They're not!” David yelled, gesturing wildly with the kettle. A bit of steaming water tipped out of its mouth and onto the floor, and Lance backed up this time. “Don't listen to what they say! I'm just trying to help you!”

“Wait, hold on.” Lance said, his back finally meeting the countertop. “The lid for that thing doesn't stick, so be careful with—“

“ _No, you listen to me!”_

That was where things went wrong. David slashed at the air in front of him with the kettle, and the lid flew off, sending the boiling water in an arc right at Lance. He barely had time to turn around when the water hit his back, and Lance swore he blacked out for a few seconds.

He stumbled against the countertop, the remnants of a scream still raw in his throat. _What the hell, was this actually happening?_ His breaths had to fight to get out, his body still reeling from the sudden onslaught of pain. What was—

“David,” Lance choked out, arms trembling with the effort to hold him up. His legs were about to give out any second.

A hand grabbed at his arm, practically dragging him out into the hallway. Lance groaned, his back screaming at the movement. It took him a second to realize David was leading him towards the bathroom, and although it was most likely to treat the burn, Lance felt his stomach clench at the thought of being trapped in an even smaller room with him.

“You should have listened to me.” David's voice was emotionless, yet Lance couldn't understand why it trembled. “Don't worry. I'll help you.”

Pidge had been wrong. This guy wasn't creepy, he was insane.

Lance's bathroom wasn't all that big. A sink on the right, toilet in the middle, shower to the left. Small enough to the point where two people inside would feel crowded. When David led him inside first, Lance spun around before the other could step in. He held up a hand, the other gripping the door like a lifeline.

“Wait,” Lance started, praying his voice sounded steady. “Could you get me a new shirt from my room? For afterwards.”

David looked surprised at the request, but nodded, a small smile almost on his face. It was horrifying, to say the least. He headed down the hallway, and Lance didn't hesitate before he slammed the door shut and locked it. His legs finally gave out, and he slid down to the ground, swallowing the urge to throw up. He fought to take his shirt off, relieved at the cool air that greeted his back.

Knocking at the door, followed by David's voice. “Lance? Why'd you lock the door?”

Honest to God, Lance had no idea why he was even asking that question. “I need you to leave. Please.”

There was a short silence before the knocking grew louder, more insistent. “Don't be ridiculous. I need to help you. Open up.”

“Leave before I call the cops.”

The doorknob rattled. “You wouldn't call them. This isn't even an emergency.”

Lance grimaced, slumping against the cabinets and fishing into his front pocket. He was glad it hadn't gotten doused. It was only when he tried to open up the contact book did he realize how badly his hands were shaking. His mind almost felt blank, as if adrenaline was the only thing powering him through right now.

Should he actually call the cops? David was talking over the constant knocking, an angry edge to his tone now. Yeah, he should.

But before he could dial anything, his phone lit up with an incoming call. Shiro. Lance answered it, putting the phone against his ear as soon as Shiro started to speak.

“Lance? That was fast. Uh, Pidge called me about that David guy being at your house and told me to call for an upda—“

“Shiro,” Lance managed, hoping his voice carried over the ruckus David was making with the door. “Can you come here? Please.”

The phone went silent for just a second before Shiro replied. “Of course. I'll be right there. Is something wrong?”

“He's... kind of lost it. Had to lock myself in the bathroom.” David had gone quiet, as if realizing that Lance was actually calling someone for help. “You might have to call the cops, too.” He added, a last attempt at hopefully scaring David away.

“The _cops_?” Shiro's voice went up a notch, and Lance heard Keith's voice in the background asking what was going on. “Jesus, Lance, what the hell happe—“

His phone chose that moment to die, of all times. Had he charged it last night? Lance let the phone fall on his lap, biting back another groan at the dull throbs of pain emanating from his back. He glanced at the shower right next to him, close yet so distant. He should cool down the burn, but he seriously couldn't find the strength to move that much. Even trying to straighten up had tears stinging his eyes.

The place had gotten abnormally quiet, and Lance wondered if David actually ran off. He hoped so. It felt like the adrenaline was wearing off, because the pain was getting more and more noticeable, and Lance kind of wished he could knock himself out so he didn't have to deal with it.

All of a sudden, there were voices paired with footsteps down the hallway before there was knocking on the door again. Lance felt his stomach clench in panic until he heard Shiro's voice.

“Lance? It's me, can you open the door?”

It took a little longer than he liked, but Lance managed to reach up and unlock the door before tugging the handle down. It was enough to prompt Shiro to pull it open all the way, and Lance shivered at the sudden wind.

“Lance?” It was Keith talking this time. “Why are you on the floor? And shirtless?”

Maybe it was the pain messing with his head or the delayed sense of realizing he was safe now, but Lance's throat choked up with tears, and he tried to sit up. “Sorry, my back...”

“Your back?” Shiro took a step into the bathroom, as if to peer over Lance's head. He sucked in a harsh breath. “ _Lance, what the hell?_ ”

“What?” Keith tried to push himself past Shiro, straining to look. “What happened?”

Shiro didn't budge, bending down so that he could grab Lance under the shoulders and help him up. Lance let him, biting his lip so that he didn't cry out again. Pain aside, this was super embarrassing. It was good thing Shiro kept holding most of his weight because Lance didn't think his legs were still cooperating.

“They look like second degree.” Shiro muttered, gently moving Lance so that he was perched on the edge of the shower. “Hold on, let's run it under cold water before we head to the hospital.”

Lance nodded as Shiro turned the water on to adjust the temperature. He glanced up at Keith, who was watching from outside the door, a dark expression on his face.

“Was it him? That David guy?” Lance nodded. “Did he do it on purpose?” The last question was laced with such venom that Lance was suddenly glad Keith was on his side.

“Um, I dunno.” Lance said, trying to peer past Keith and into the hallway. “Is he...?”

“He's not here.” Shiro answered instead, voice tight. “Door was wide open when we got here.”

“I'm gonna kill him.” Keith grumbled.

“Hey, it's the holiday season,” Lance joked weakly, waving a hand. “No killing, it ruins the mood.”

Shiro squeezed Lance's shoulder to get his attention. “Do you think you'd be able to bend over the tub and let the water on your back? If not, you could get inside the tub. But your pants...”

Lance shook his head. He was babied enough already. “I can hold myself up. Please spare me the dignity of keeping my pants on, man.”

Although Lance insisted on doing this part on his own, Shiro kept an arm hovering underneath him in case Lance's arms did end up giving out. Which they didn't, thank you very much. He jumped when the water first hit his back, but it felt nice, and he leaned his head against the shower wall as he felt the heat start to cool off. Shiro was talking to Keith, something about looking for bandages.

“They're in the cabinet behind me.” Lance pointed out helpfully, busy watching the water swirling down the drain. He heard the cabinet click open before Keith rustled around for a bit. “Did you guys actually call the cops, by the way?”

Shiro sighed. “No. We were going to if that guy was still here.”

Lance was glad for that. The last thing he wanted to do this was make this a bigger deal than it already was. If his neighbors saw cop cars swarm his apartment, he was pretty sure he would have to answer nosy questions for weeks.

Ten minutes later, when Lance's arms were starting to get too tired, Shiro finally shut off the water and let Lance sit down as he pat his back dry. He and Keith took turns talking about their holiday plans while Shiro loosely bandaged his back, a comfortable drone of conversation that proved a nice distraction.

“Alright. Hospital.” Shiro ordered, getting Lance to his feet. Keith disappeared for a minute before he returned with one of Lance's jackets, helping him put it on carefully. His back still stung, but it was way better than before. He wondered if it would leave any marks.

One hospital trip and an order of antibiotic ointment later, Lance was back in his apartment, sitting his apartment as Shiro rubbed the medicine on his back. Hunk and Pidge had made their way over once they returned, and Lance already knew what was coming.

“What did I tell you?” Hunk chided, arms on his hips. “He was bad news! _Really_ bad news!”

“I thought something was off about him, but wow... He sure exceeded my expectations.” Pidge added. She sat on the ground, elbows on the small coffee table as she watched the scene. “You're reporting this to the school, right?”

“Uh, yeah he is.” Hunk answered instead. “If he won't, I will. That dude's gotta go.”

Lance sighed. “Nah, I'll do it. Guess you two have a sixth sense, after all.”

“Or you're just oblivious.” Pidge said, a grin on her face. “Don't worry, that's why you got us.”

“Dude, even _Keith_ thought David was creepy.” Hunk shook his head, as if disappointed. “That's a red flag right there.”

Keith glanced up from where he sat on the sofa, slightly offended. “Was that an insult?”

Hunk laughed, waving his hands dismissively. “Nah, man. Don't sweat it.”

Lance cracked a grin at that, straightening up once Shiro finished re-bandaging his back. The doctor said it most likely wouldn't scar, which was great. Painkillers would help him sleep, too. He shifted on the couch, clapping his hands together. “Alright, well, thanks for this intervention. You guys can go home now.”

The other stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. “Are you crazy?” Hunk gaped. “You really think we're just gonna leave you alone here after what just happened? What if David comes back?”

Lance blinked. “Uhh... I'll lock my door?”

“And what, you're never gonna step outside?” Pidge snorted.

Hunk shook his head somberly. “Nu uh. You're staying over at my place until you report it and the school resolves this.” Hunk grinned, mind already set. “Let's go pack some clothes.”

“Wait, what?!” Lance squawked, although he let Hunk drag him towards his room. “Dude, I can't just stay at your house for who knows how many days!”

“Why not?” Hunk asked. “It's not like you haven't slept over before. I have plenty of space.”

Lance wasn't winning this one, and he knew it. He sighed, letting Hunk rummage through his closet as he talked about a Christmas party he was planning for the group next week. That sounded fun, at least.

Hunk dragged Lance to file a report the next day, and Pidge was the first to find out a few days later that David had been transferred to another campus. Lance thought he would've felt bad at the news, but he didn't.

 


End file.
